3 Day old tank

You need to read up on cycling a tank. You also need to change about 75% of the water to get that ammonia down below .25ppm.

Hello, :welcome: to AC.

I agree with rich, heres a good link on cycling http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598
As you are now doing a fishy cycle you may need to do daily water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrites below .25ppm.

On a side note, take the mondo grass out ASAP. Pet stores sell it as an aquatic plant, but it's actually not.

jpcoop said:

Alright I did the 75% water change and it helped. I added the water and the conditioner. It got the ammonia down to 0.25. I tested the tap water and it had the same reading.

The fish seemed a little freaked out at first but they have settled down. Also the water is noticeably clearer. If I continue having problems with the ammonia should I start using conditioners like prime?

Click to expand...

You have to wait till some bacteria colonize. It will take a month or so. Just keep the fish healthy for now until the bacteria takes hold in your tank.

Unfortunately few places tell you about the need to cycle a tank BEFORE adding fish and then to add only a few each week.

Having fish is not like having a new dog or cat. You can't just get what they need and all is well. You have to get all the things they will need at least a month before hand and do a setup. The article that krytan referred you to is where to start. Having the fish already requires a stressful tank start up. You must be disciplined to see it through. Once done it is rare that you will ever need to do it again. However, learning about the cycling and the changes the water goes through is an absolute must to be successful. Adding fish slowly (a couple at a time) is due to the impact on the bio-load. placed upon the system. Fish waste, uneaten food, and respirations of a fish all have an impact on water quality. The amout of bio-load your system can handle is dependent on many factors such as filtration, plants or none, and susbstrate or none.

Keep in mind that some of the fish in the aquarium hobby can live 10+ years and some only 2-3. So when wanting to add more fish, research the needs before getting them and understand the average adult size they can reach as well as compatibility with others. Their water needs can also vary. To research, search the internet to find as much information as you can and do not cite any one source as the expert site. Look at many sites becuase there is a lot of incorrect information out there. When in doubt, ask. It is better to ask than to toss away money and fish. We will try to offer the best information we can based on our experiences.

jpcoop said:

Alright I did the 75% water change and it helped. I added the water and the conditioner. It got the ammonia down to 0.25. I tested the tap water and it had the same reading.

The fish seemed a little freaked out at first but they have settled down. Also the water is noticeably clearer. If I continue having problems with the ammonia should I start using conditioners like prime?

Click to expand...

I would use it from now on, seemed to work better than other conditionors........

Feed lightly while your tank is fishy cycling.